Author's note: We didn't get any review for the last chapter. *sniff* Oh well, hopefully you guys will enjoy this chapter a lot more.

Chapter 7 "Final Decisions"

***

Shinji was already within the entry plug of the Eva, and was once again exploring the simulation, trying to perfect his ability to move about in the Eva. Ritsuko, Misato, Steven and the bridge bunnies were all present, and they were monitoring his progress closely.

Ritsuko was the first to break the silence. "His progress is quite remarkable. He's already perfected the basic movements of the Eva, and he's starting to show real comfort in his environment."

Maya also added some info. "His synch ratio is at 48%. That's the highest we've seen yet."

Ritsuko nodded in agreement. "He's doing quite well. He must be doing just as well at home I would imagine." She then gives a look at her friend and fellow coworker, Misato.

Misato seemed a little less sure. "Um…Shinji's doing just fine. No problems between us."

Adams caught then tone in her voice, and took the opportunity to fire back. "What? Did he eat some of your cooking?"

The Director of Operations narrowed gave a nasty glare at the American. "You wouldn't know good cooking if it kicked your ass."

The American pretended to not hear her correctly. "What's that? Your cooking can kick people's ass? That's pretty bad."

Even Ritsuko couldn't keep herself from laughing at that one, but she did her best to keep the situation professional. "Cut it out you two." She then decides to move onto the next phase of today. Shinji was supposed to learn how to use his weapons, in which was right up on Adams's alley. At the very least, keeping one of them busy should allow the both of them to behave. "Adams. Why don't you work with Shinji in his first run through with weapons training?"

The weapons developer nodded with excitement as he walked forward to talk to Shinji. "Hey Shinji! Ready to shoot and blow stuff up?"

The pilot blinked in response. "Um, sure…"

Shinji began gong through various weapon drill, ranging from shooting, to learning each of the reload stations. Although Shinji's aim was far from perfect, his progress was impressive all the same. He got a chance to fire various weapons from the G2-EX, to a modified rocket launcher. Needless to say, Shinji had plenty of opportunity to destroy a lot of buildings in the simulation.

After several hours of practice, everyone in the group agreed that that his practice was adequate for today. He still had a long way to go, but it was important that they didn't overdue it. He was still just a kid.

Ritsuko spoke to the boy. "Good work Shinji. You can go home now. We'll expect you to be there this Thursday, ok?"

Shinji nodded. "Ok."

**

Both Shinji and Misato were on their way home in the car. Shinji, despite how well he was doing in the Eva program, was rather distant. Misato quickly noted this. "What's wrong? You seem like you're on another world."

Shinji slowly turned his head to meet the gaze of his guardian. "I'm sorry. It's not your fault, if that's what you're thinking."

Misato became more concern upon hearing this. "Tell me. What's wrong?"

"It's school." Replied Shinji. "I'm wondering if it's right for me. I really feel out of place there. And there's another thing."

Misato was listening intently while paying attention to the road. "Continue…"

Shinji once again looked out the window. "I'm worried that people are going to find out about me. About what I do. I already suspect that there are people talking about me."

Misato patted the boy on the shoulder. "You shouldn't work yourself up over it. People are bound to find out, and if anything, it may make you more popular. And if it doesn't, you still shouldn't worry about what people think about you."

The young Ikari could only sigh after hearing his guardian talk. He kept having this feeling that people were talking about him, and he was worried that people would dislike him. He really didn't want people to hate him, and the thought of it worried him more. He tried to push those feelings out as he thought of something else. "Misato? Really would hate to be a bother, but what I ate for lunch today wasn't exactly filling. I was wondering if maybe I could have something a little more wholesome for lunch tomorrow."

The temporary guardian gave a look of disappointment. "I'm really sorry Shinji, but money's kinda tight right now. I get paid this Friday. After that, I promise I'll buy you obento till your hearts content."

Shinji frowned at another realization. "I'm supposed to choose who'll live with this weekend."

Misato became disappointed as she too came to this realization. "That's right. Kinda forgot." She became upset with herself. "I'm really sorry. I should have been more prepared."

The pilot of Unit 01 smiled. "Misato. You really shouldn't work yourself up over it."

Noting the somewhat mocking tone of his voice, Misato smiled back. "Tell you what. Regardless of whether you live with me or not, I'll make it up to you, ok?"

Shinji nodded. "Ok."

**

The rest of the evening went without anything unusual. Shinji decided to cook dinner that night, and everything seemed to be okay. Little did he know that his next day of school was going to take everything that he had in order to survive.

Shinji entered the classroom a little earlier than his first two day since he was starting to get used to his morning routine. He quickly sat down at his desk, getting ready for another long day of boring lectures and endless back homework assignments. His plans for the school day were about to get jolted.

Most of the class had entered the classroom, and there was about eight minutes before class would start. Two of those classmates were the infamous duo, Touji and Kensuke. One of them entered the room with fire in his eyes. His friend wasn't so enthusiastic.

"Should we really do this?" Asked Kensuke. "There's something seriously wrong about this."

Touji continued to approach the new student. "Just get that disk ready." He then stood ominously over Shinji, with great fervor in revealing the class. "Hey new kid. I've got something to talk to you about."

Shinji was somewhat startled by the dark-haired boy. He looked up, his heart reaching his throat. "Yes…what is it?"

Touji then turn head around and began to yell towards the other classmates. "HEY EVERYONE!!! I GOT SOMETHING TO TELL YOU ALL!!!"

The chitchat around the room quickly died down as everyone looked towards Touji. Hikari was not amused. "What are you up to, Suzuhara?"

The dark-haired jock raised a hand towards the Class Rep, and turned to face the young Ikari once again. He began to pace around the boys desk, like a shark encircling his prey. "As some of you may have heard, there are several rumors spreading around that this new kid here is more than what he seems." Touji then pointed a finger into the air. "Well I know the truth about one Shinji Ikari!"

Most of the classmates seemed unimpressed, especially Hikari. "What's the point here Touji? Like any of us actually believe what you have to say."

Shinji, on the other hand, was growing increasingly anxious and nervous. His fight or flight response was kicking in, but neither running nor fighting was an option right now.

Touji smiles as he pointed at his friend. "Do you have it ready?"

Aida rolled his eyes and nodded, as he then pressed a button on his laptop. He then positioned the screen for everyone to watch. The screen showed a boy with brown hair walking towards a high security door, swiping a card through the checkpoint and entering a door. Next to the door, the word "NERV personnel only." was clearly stated. There were several gasps in the room, but some were still not convinced.

"So how do we know that isn't someone else?" Asked the Class Rep.

Suzuhara blinked, not expecting skepticism after he showed the video. He then turned towards Shinji, who was on the verge of fainting. "Tell me Shinji. Was that you? You wouldn't lie to your classmates, would you?"

Shinji looked down at his desk in shame. Despite the fact that telling the truth may give undesired results, he couldn't bring himself to lie. "Yes…that's me…"

The entire class gasped, removing all skepticism from anyone. Touji, who was just starting to get warmed up, and he once again encircled the boy, preparing to reveal more. "So we know now that this new kid is somehow involved with the government organization known as NERV, which is the same agency that's in charge of the entire city, but there's another little tidbit that some of you have missed. Doesn't his last name sound familiar? It might for some of you, but why? The truth, my friends, is that it should because it's the same last name as Commander Gendo Ikari, head of NERV." He then leans forward getting close to Shinji's face. "Tell me Shinji. Is it or is it not true that you are the son of Gendo Ikari?"

Shinji's eyes began to fill up with tears, and his nails were digging into his desk. As reluctant as he was to answer the question, he once again gave in. "Yes…It's true…"

More gasps filled the air, and whispers began to circulate around the room. Touji was still not quite finished, though. "Well thank you for your honestly, but I'm not done yet. There's another rumor out there that say that you know someone by the name of Rei Ayanami. Although there hasn't been any proof of the sort, and Rei isn't here to tell us the truth, I figure you could do us a favor and tell us what's going on between you two. Do you know her? Are you two friends? A couple? Lovers?"

Swallowing hard at the last question, Shinji thought about what to say. He was a little less tense about this question than the previous ones, but he was worried that people wouldn't believe him. "No, I don't know her. I've never even met her. I have heard of her, but from what I know, she's still in the hospital and so I never got the chance to meet her."

The dark-haired boy narrowed his eyes and nodded. "Are you being absolutely truthful about that?"

Shinji nodded back. "Yes I am."

Touji once again started to circle around Shinji, trying to find the words for his last question. "Well, Shinji. I appreciate the honestly, and for some reason I believe you. But I also have another gut feeling. For some reason, I have a hunch about you. Sure, you're a part of NERV, and your father is the head of that organization, but the question that comes up in my mind is what exactly do you do in NERV. Now it's possible that maybe your dad lets you in there to see what's going on in there, or that you just have special privileges because you dad is Commander Ikari. But that's not the real reason I believe you are with NERV. I think there's more to you then meets the eye."

Kensuke rolled his eyes again. "Oh dear god, where's he going with this?"

Touji continued. "I think…I think that you have an important responsibility in NERV. I think that your job is pretty special indeed."

Shinji went wide-eyed. 'No way! Does he actually know who I am? But how?'

The larger teenage boy then slammed his hand on Shinji's desk and asked his final question. "ARE YOU THE PILOT OF THE GIANT ROBOT THAT FOUGHT THAT MONSTER OVER A WEEK AND A HALF AGO?!!!"

The class was silent in anticipation, with the exception of Kensuke, who smacked his forehead in exasperation. 'Oh god. I can't believe him. How ridiculous can you get?'

Shinji however, was a lot more nervous, no frightened over the idea of revealing his identity. Touji once again pressed the question. "Answer me Ikari!! Are you, or are you not the pilot?!"

Shinji looked up at his classmate, then at the rest of the class, and finally spoke. "Yes…I am…"

The whole class erupted in gasps. Kensuke nearly fell down in shock. Even Touji was a little startled. Suddenly, everyone in the class except Touji and Kensuke rushed in on the boy, shouting out their own questions. Touji was thrown to the side and almost smacked into his friend. Shinji could do all he could to prevent himself from being swallowed up. He did his best to answer all the questions that came his way, but there were too many of them, and he started to become a little scared. He was fortunately saved by the bell, which signaled the beginning of class.

Unfortunately, the start of class did little to relieve Shinji of the countless question that flew at him. Some were sent through the computer system and onto his laptop, other sent in the form of notes, which quickly started to pile up. He looked at as many questions as he could, but he couldn't answer all of them, mostly because he didn't know the answers to most of the questions. The question didn't relent during Gym either, in which more kid found out about him and they too had questions to ask. He answered what questions he knew the answer to, but it did little to satisfy the voracious appetites of his fellow students.

Fortunately, Shinji's lunch problem was solved, at least for today. All sorts of students were handing the boy food in exchange for any tidbits he could offer. Before long, he had more food than he could possibly eat, and he had to put some aside for later, assuming that the food would stay fresh long enough.

Touji and Kensuke. Sitting at their usual table, began to briefly discuss their discovery about the new kid. Touji was brooding in anger as he made a startling conclusion. "He did it…."

Kensuke blinked upon hearing his friend. "Did what?"

Touji continued. "He hurt my sister…during the attack. She almost died. It's all his fault."

The blond-haired boy took a bite of his lunch. "I'm sure it was an accident. It's not like he was trying to hurt anyone. I'd like to see you in one of those things and see how you'd do."

Suzuhara pounded his fist on the table. "That's not the point. He should have been plenty skilled enough to make sure that he did his job and made sure that no one got hurt. I'm sure he's piloted that thing a million times before, so why was it that he had to be clumsy on that day. His carelessness is the reason my little sister is hurt."

Aida sighed. He knew that his friend was being irrational. His stubbornness and his love for his sister were clouding his judgment. Normally it was himself that would usually jump to conclusions, but Touji's sister being injured had hit the boy hard, and it seemed to be that he was trying to find a good reason to be mad, even though there was no reason for it. There could be tons of reason as to why his sister got hurt. She shouldn't have been up at the surface in the first place, but she, just like her brother, was stubborn, and she desperately wanted to see what was going on. Kensuke knew that his friend felt responsible for not keeping an eye out for his sister, and that he was trying to blame someone else for it instead of himself. Kensuke looked up to say something to his friend, but was dismayed when he saw his friend walking towards the pilot.

'Shit!' Thought Kensuke. 'He's not thinking of doing what I think he is, is he?'

Touji was approaching Shinji with intent in his eye. He noted the small group for people gathered around him, but concluded that they would not be a problem. He then reached the table. "Hey kid! I have something to say to you!"

Shinji spotted the dark-haired boy, and instantly knew by his expression that whatever he was planning wasn't good. He saw him flare out his nostrils, and grit his teeth, as if he was extremely pissed and quite possibly ready for a fight. Shinji was no fighter. He's never actually been in any real fights with other people, and by judging the other boys size and demeanor, he knew he would get creamed. He decided to play this by ear, hoping to maybe avoid the fight instead. "Um… yeah. What is it?"

Touji cracked his knuckles. "Did you know that my sister got hurt over a week ago, during that attack on the city?"

Shinji gasped when he remembered the information that was told to him last weekend at the movie theatre. A huge pang of guilt rushed over him once again as he realized that he was quite possibly responsible for the injuries that the young girl has received. He lowered his head in shame, afraid to look at the other boy in the eyes. "Yes…I heard…."

What Shinji said only enraged Suzuhara further. "What? You knew, and you didn't say anything? I bet you don't even care if she's okay or not!" He then proceeds to grab the pilot by the shirt. "But I'll make you care!"

All of the other students had backed off, but a crowd of people began to encircle the two boys, with the exception of Kensuke, who was trying to fight the crowd in order to hold back his friend.

The young Ikari swallowed hard. He realized that he had said the wrong thing, and was trying to think of something to say in order to prevent his face from being punched in. "I'm sorry. It was an accident…."

"So What?" Asked the larger boy. "That means shit to me. You knew what you did, and instead of being a man and facing up to what you did, you lied and deceived." Touji then raised his fist to strike the smaller boy. "Take this you selfish bastard!!"

Shinji was punched straight into the jaw, briefly boxing his senses. Just as his vision was returning, he saw another punch that was coming. Fortunately, the second punch never made it as Aida showed up and attempted to hold back his friend. "Stop it! It's not worth it. You'll get into big trouble!"

The crowds eye had become widened, some of them were cheering, other yelling and booing. Neither of this mattered as several staff members had fought their way into the crowd and grabbed Touji in order to take him to the principal's office.

Touji desperately wanted to cream the pilot, and was fighting the staff in order to get in another punch, but he was subdued, and he was being dragged away, pretty much kicking and screaming.

Shinji was by no means the nicest guy in the world. Touji was right. He was selfish for not facing up to what he'd done. Despite the throbbing pain he felt in his cheek, his guilt was no less severe. He watched as the dark-haired boy was being dragged away. He knew that he didn't want any enemies, and if he didn't do something now, he was going to have one, which was the last thing he needed. Something compelled him to do something, say something, but what?

Shinji got up from the table and ran up to the staff members who were taking away Touji. "Wait! Take me with you!"

The staff members stopped and looked back. "What did you say?"

The brown-haired boy caught up to them. "Take me with you. I started the fight. I should be in trouble, too."

The staff members and Touji blinked when they heard this. The senior staff member motioned the boy to come along. "Then come with us. You two should know better than to fight in school."

Shinji began to walk with the Staff towards the principal's office. Touji, who was no longer fighting back, stared at the other boy, confused as to the reasoning of his actions. 'Why the hell did he tell them that he started the fight? It wasn't even actually a fight. What does he think he's doing?'

Shortly afterwards, the two of them arrived at the principals office in order to receive their proper punishment.

**

Misato, who was just on her way to work, was receiving a cell-phone call. She picked it up begrudgingly. She was a little late and was driving rather fast, and the last thing she needed was a distraction. "Hello? Yes, this is Misato. Yep Uh huh…. What? Shinji's been in a fight? I'll be right there."

She quickly made a U-turn, nearly crashing into several cars on the opposite side of the road. She then hurriedly drove towards the middle school which a vengeance.

**

Both Shinji and Touji were sitting in the confines of the principal's office, neither of them saying a word, afraid that they could make things worse. The principal was in quite a sour mood. He did not tolerate fighting in school, and he knew he had to try and keep a certain harmony within the school that was appropriate for Japanese customs. He could suspend the both of them for a few days, which seemed like a decent punishment, but he knew it wouldn't solve the problem. The two boys would have to learn to get along, and he knew the best way for them to do so was cooperation.

"Well…" Spoke the principal. "I've thought about what I should do with the two of you. I think that the two of you should go home and think about what you've done, and also why it was wrong for you to do so. To add to that, you two will have clean-up duty after school for the next two weeks…together. I'm hoping that fighting will not be a common occurrence between you two. I believe this punishment is quite lenient, but the next time either of you two gets into a fight on school grounds, I will not be so merciful. Understood?"

Both Shinji and Touji nodded. Just then, Misato entered the office, looking fairly winded. She spotted the two boys and the principal. "Sorry for interrupting. I came as fast as I could."

The principal nodded. "Indeed. You must be Shinji's guardian. Well, I just want you to know that we don't tolerate fighting in school, and I would hope in the future that you will see to it that this child does not cause anymore disputes in or around this building."

Misato nodded in agreement. "Yes sir."

The principal stood up and began to stare out the window. "You two are dismissed from school. I'll expect better behavior tomorrow."

Both Shinji and Touji stood up and bowed. "Yes sir."

Misato walked up to Shinji. "Let's go home. You have a lot of explaining to do."

Suzuhara was awestruck by the beauty of the highly attractive Misato. A drop of drool almost left his mouth. 'Holy shit! She's gorgeous! How the hell did that kid get so lucky?'

The three of them walked out of the door and into the hallway. As both Shinji and Misato walk away, Misato decided to add her two cents. "I thought you'd be smarter than to pick a fight. When I said that you should be stronger, I didn't mean that you should be a bully. By the looks of the other kid, it seems the you would have gotten creamed." She looked closer at the boy. His cheek was somewhat puffy, while the other kid didn't have a scratch on him. "Look like you got pounded as it was."

The young Ikari kept staring at the ground. He hated getting into trouble, and he knew he got himself into it even though he didn't deserve it. He decided to clear his name. "I didn't start the fight."

Misato stopped and stared at the young man. "What?"

"I didn't start the fight." Continued Shinji. "I took the heat on purpose because I didn't want him to hate me."

Misato blinked, unsure as to what to say. "Um…why?"

Shinji looked up at his guardian. "I'm not sure why. All I know is that I'm responsible for his sister getting hurt. She got hurt while I was trying to destroy the angel, and he was really mad at me. He hit me, and was going to hit me again if it weren't for his friend holding him back. When the staff took him away, I still felt guilty, so I took some of the heat. I felt it was the least I could do."

Misato widened her eyes. "He knows about you?"

Ikari nodded. "Everyone knows. That was he and his friend's work. They followed me to NERV yesterday."

Misato became angered. "What a jerk. He doesn't deserve what you did for him."

Shinji seemed confused. "What did I do for him beside hate some heat?"

Misato smiled and gave the boy a hug. "You shouldn't feel bad for what happened. It wasn't your fault. Accidents happen, and some people need to realize that you can't blame someone else for things that just happen sometimes. If anything, you saved his sister's life. If it weren't for you, she and everyone else would be dead. You should be proud of yourself. There's no reason to feel guilty. And the things he did to you were inexcusable."

After that, the two of them let go and headed for the car. Misato slowly pull out and began to drive around the school, as if she was looking for something.

Shinji raised an eyebrow. "What are you doing?"

Misato had a look of determination in her eyes. "I'm looking for that kid who hit you. I have a thing or two to say to him."

The young pilot widened his eyes. "What? You can't do that! He'll hate me more."

"He has no right to hate you." Said Katsuragi. "And I'm going to make that point clear to him."

**

Touji was walking alone down the street. He was fairly confused and was starting to feel bad for what he'd done in school earlier. No doubt that he should have controlled his temper, but he couldn't figure out why the new kid said that he started the fight. Did he feel guilty and want to make up for what he did? Did he want to make him look bad? Maybe he wanted to show off that he was a better man them him. In any case, it was quite unexpected.

Little did he know that something else quite unexpected was about to happen as a sports car quickly pulled over nearby, and an enraged Director of Operations came practically running towards him. "Hold it right there!!"

Touji looked back and almost made a run for it, but stopped when Misato yelled again. "Don't bother running. I know where you live."

The dark-haired boy looked back and swallowed hard. 'Oh shit! I'm in for it now…'

Misato caught up to the boy and held him by the collar. "You've got a lot of nerve pulling what you did earlier today. I heard what happened. You attacked Shinji here at school!"

Touji was sweating in pure nervousness. He was really regretting his actions now. He didn't know who this woman was, and there was no telling what she was capable of doing. He still thought she was hot, though.

Misato didn't lay off him. "I'm sure you're aware of the fact that he's one of our pilots. We don't have many of them, and we'd very much appreciate it if you'd treat them with a little more respect. Do you even realize that he probably saved your life?"

Touji could barely speak. "N…no…"

Misato then put on a semi-evil smile. "Your actions could have far more consequence than you think. I maybe Shinji's guardian, but I'm also the Director of Operations for NERV, which makes me one of the highest ranking members of that organization."

Upon hearing that, Suzuhara's eyes widened ever further, and he started to become frightened as to what the purple-haired woman might do.

Misato then asked a question. "You're Touji Suzuhara, correct?"

The boy nodded slowly, afraid that the wrong response might get him killed, or worse. Misato then continued. "I'm well aware that your father and Grand-father work for NERV. You do realize that I have the authority to have the both of them fired, right?"

The dark-haired boy shook his head. "Please don't! I'm really sorry!"

Misato turned her head to call out to the brown-haired pilot, who was still in the car. "Shinji! Come here!"

Shinji reluctantly exited the vehicle and walked towards the two of them. "What is it?"

"Tell me Shinji." Spoke Misato. "You think we should fire Touji's father and Grand-father from NERV?"

Shinji looked at Misato, and then to Touji, whose heart was missing some beats, and finally answered. "No, of course not."

Misato turned back to Touji, still holding on to his collar. "Did you hear that? He just single-handedly saved their jobs. I will add that isn't only thing that he saved as far as your family goes." She then let go of Touji collar. "I heard that your sister has been hurt. My deepest condolences to you and her, but think about this. If it weren't for Shinji here, she'd be dead. And besides, you taking your anger out on Shinji will not make her better."

Touji hung his head in a great deal of shame. Even though he hated to admit it, she was right. He then look back at the young Ikari, looking for some forgiveness. Misato noted this. "Now I think the least you could do is apologize."

Touji took a deep breath, and spoke his apology. "I'm sorry man…."

Shinji nodded in response. "It's ok."

Confident that things were going well, Misato nodded as well. "Good, now shake hands."

Both Shinji and Touji complied and shook hands, both feeling more relaxed about the situation.

"I hope that the next time you two meet…" Said Misato. "That it'll be on better terms." She then gives Touji the evil eye. "Or else…"

Both Shinji and Misato began to walk away. Misato turned back at Suzuhara and waved. "Have a nice day now! Buh Bye!"

It was then that the two of them left, leaving Touji standing on the street, barely able to move. 'Man, I can't believe what happened. What a woman.' He then put on a huge smile. "And she was right in my face. Wow! Kensuke will never believe what I have to tell him."

She then sighed and looked up the street, remembering the day's events. He remembered that he wanted to see his sister today, and so he began to walk off towards the hospital, hoping that she was feeling better.

**

Misato entered the apartment after returning from work later that day. She was laughing, and judging by the color of her face, she'd been laughing for quite sometime. Her laughter was finally dying, and she was regaining her breath. "Oh my god…do you remember the look on his face? He looked…like he was going to pee his pants." Misato began to laugh once again.

Shinji, who was in the kitchen studying, wasn't quite as amused. "You know, I'm going to have to clean after school with him for the next two weeks. For some reason I don't think what you did helped me any."

Misato finally stopped laughing and caught her breath. She gave the young boy a sincere smile. "Don't worry. He won't mess with you, if he knows what's good for him."

Shinji put his books down and went to the refrigerator for something to eat and drink. "I don't want people to just leave me alone. I was hoping to someday have some friends. It's hard to do that if people are afraid of me."

Misato put on a look of seriousness, realizing that there was some merit in what he said. "I'm sorry. I hadn't thought of it like that. In all honesty, I was just trying to do what I thought was best."

Shinji turned and glared at Misato in anger. "Well maybe you need to learn about what is best beforehand. You certainly don't know what it is now." He then grabbed his food and drink and walked off into his room, leaving Misato standing there, mouth wide open.

The captain's feelings were hurt deeply. She hadn't expected the boy's actions to be so harsh. Her eyes began to water as she went to the refrigerator and grabbed a beer. She sat down and took a sip, and then she broke down in tears.

PenPen heard his master's cries and exited his private fridge to check on her. He once again tried to relief some of her sadness by giving a hug, but it did little to relieve Misato pain. "I'm sorry PenPen, but I don't think that'll help this time. I really screwed up, and now Shinji's mad at me."

Shinji, who was eating away at his dinner, over heard the crying of his temporary guardian. Feeling guilty once again, he slowly edged towards his door, and opened it slightly in order to hear what she was saying.

Misato stared intently at the beer in her hand. "Who am I kidding? I'm no guardian. I can't even get my own life together. I've screwed up everything ever since he got here. I couldn't pick up the house, I was late for the movie, the food here is terrible, I embarrassed him with my 'habits', and I might have made that one kid afraid of him. How the hell can I take care of him if I always screw up." She then became extremely pissed. "I bet you that he's going to pick Adams as his guardian. I bet you he loves him. God forbid he screws up."

She then looks towards her pet slams her beer on the table, causing it to foam over. "You know what's the worst part about it? He only did it to spite me. I bet you that he doesn't even care about Shinji. A guy like him probably would rather live alone, but no, he had to spite me. He had to prove he was better than me." She then sighs and lowers her head causing her to sob some more. "I didn't take this job to be better than anyone. I really wanted to be his guardian. I'm so alone here by myself. I know I have you PenPen, but it's not the same. I just wanted someone to look up to me, to care and love, just like I care and love him or her. Someone to help around the house, to have a conversation with, or to go out with and enjoy ourselves, just like a family. That's all I wanted. A family. Now I've blown it. I'm such a horrible person…"

She then went into a huge crying fit, with PenPen watching, feeling equally depressed. Shinji, who'd heard the whole thing, was also depressed at what she said. 'Dammit! Stupid Shinji. Now look at what you've done. Why do you have to hurt peoples' feelings at the worst times? She was trying to do her best, and you threw it in her face.' He then shed a few tears of his own. He wanted to go out there and apologize, but he couldn't think of what to say. Instead, he finished his meal and went to bed.

**

The next morning, Shinji rose from his bed, but he was somewhat poorly rested. He had trouble sleeping last night, feeling guilty over what he said and being worried about the next day of school. He knew that Misato wouldn't be up this morning, suspecting that she was hung-over, so he gathered all the things he needed for school and headed off on foot, confident that he could get there without the map.

The school day wasn't much different from yesterday, except that more students knew about him, and that Touji and Kensuke didn't say anything to him during class. The day seemed to pass rather quickly, and it wasn't long before the end of the day came and he was put on cleaning duty next to Touji.

However, went he met up with the Dark-haired boy, his four-eyed friend accompanied him. He had an apologizing look on his face, and it looked like he had something to say. "Listen, about yesterday…I'm really sorry man."

Shinji blinked at his words. "Why are you apologizing? You already did yesterday."

Touji nodded. "I know, but I really thought about what your guardian said yesterday. Then I went to see my sister at the hospital. She was conscious, and I talked to her about you and the robot. Then she yelled at me, telling me that you had actually saved her from that monster that almost stepped on her. I started to realize that you weren't to blame for what happened to her." Touji's face became pained at what he was about to say. "It was my fault. I was supposed to watch her while we were in the shelter, but she wanted to see what was going on, and she got away from me. I didn't want to blame myself for what happened, but I know that if I had kept a better eye on her, she'd be fine now."

Shinji became sympathetic. "You shouldn't blame yourself. You made a mistake. We all do that. At least she's okay."

Suzuhara slammed his fist into a locker. "Dammit it's not okay. Her injuries are pretty bad. She may never grow up to live a normal life. She might even have to live in a wheel chair for the rest of her life. Do you know what it's like to know that it's your fault that someone got hurt, someone you really care about?"

Shinji hung his head at what he said. "I do know, to some degree."

Touji sighed and recomposed himself. "I need you to do me a favor. Hit me, as hard as you can."

Both Shinji and Kensuke raised an eyebrow. "What?"

"You heard me." Said Touji. "I said hit me. I deserve it."

The young Ikari shook his head. "Let's call it even, after what my guardian did to you yesterday, I think I should still owe you."

The blond-haired boy seemed surprised. "You mean that Touji really was threatened by some hot chick who is your guardian?"

Touji thought back to that moment and blinked. "You mean what that babe did? No way, that was great. If she was any closer, we would have made out."

Shinji face-faulted when hearing Touji's response. "What? Are you serious?"

Kensuke ran up and helped Shinji to his feet. "Dude, is she really that hot?"

The young pilot's eyes were twitching from disbelief. "I don't know."

Touji seemed equally surprised at what Shinji said. "What? Are you kidding? How could you not think so? You aren't gay are you?"

Shinji quickly denied being gay. "No no. I'm not gay. It's just that I don't see her that way, and I know stuff about her that you guys don't."

Both Touji and Kensuke moved in closer, invading Shinji's personal space. "You've got to let me see her again. She's gorgeous."

Kensuke also practically beg Shinji. "God if she's that hot, I gotta see her, too."

The pilot of Unit 01 backed off, trying to regain his space. "I can't do that. I barely know you two."

The two other kids stared briefly and smiled. Touji then spoke. "Won't help us out, huh? We'll have to do something about that." He then walked up to Shinji and put out a hand. "Let's be friends."

Surprised by the token of friendship, Shinji reluctantly grabbed his hand to shake it. "Um…okay."

Just as they shook hands, Touji took his hand, and wrapped his fingers around Shinji's thumb, encouraging Shinji to do the same. He then shook the hands up and down once. "This is our hand-shake. Now you're one of us."

Letting go, Shinji stared at his hand and looked at the other two boys. Kensuke walked up to Shinji to also give him the handshake. "I wish I had my camcorder with me. This is such a touching moment."

The three boys laughed. The day was going rather well for Shinji. It was then that a staff member came up to them. "It's time for you two to get started. We want you to sweep and mop this entire hallway, then we want you to go to the cafeteria and clean that area, too"

The two boys nodded. "Yes sir." They got started on their duties, with Kensuke secretly helping out. During the sweeping, Touji had a curious thought and asked Shinji a question. "Hey! So how long has that one NERV chick been your guardian?"

Shinji put down his broom and looked at his new friend. "Her name is Misato, and honestly, I haven't lived with her longer than a week. She's actually only my temporary guardian. On Saturday, I'm supposed to choose between her and someone else."

Both of the other boys widened their eyes. "Someone else? Is it another hot chick?"

Shinji shook his head. "No. It's a guy. He's an American. He's pretty cool."

Touji gave a suspicious look. "From the sound of your voice, it sounds like you aren't sure who you're going to pick. Are you crazy? Pick Misato! She's hot!"

The young Ikari blush slightly. "I don't look at her like that? I really want to pick someone who I think would be best for the job. I think picking someone for their looks is shallow."

Both Suzuhara and Aida shook their heads. "You poor, sad individual." Said Kensuke. "What kind of a man are you?"

Shinji narrowed his eyes. "Apparently, I'm a decent one."

"Right!" Said Touji. "We're so sure…"

The three of them laughed and continued to joke around. As a result, the cleaning duties they had hardly even seemed like a chore. The three of them talked about all sorts of things and quickly realized that the other was pretty cool, and it was the start of a lasting friendship.

**

A couple of hours later, Shinji was found once again inside the entry plug of his Eva, but he wasn't exploring the simulation this time. Instead, he was performing a harmonics test, which was excruciatingly boring. His boredom wasn't helping his synch ratio.

Ritsuko frowned in disappointment. "It's not that much higher than last time."

Behind her, both Adams and Misato observed, or at least Adams was observing. Misato was sadly not in the right frame of mind at the moment. Her red, puffy eyes, combined with her poorly maintained appearance were a sure sign that she was highly depressed. None of these symptoms, of course, were improved by the tremendous hangover she had, causing her head to throb and her stomach to churn.

The other in the room had noticed her appearance, but decided to not mention it, concluding that she simply had too much to drink the night before. They were only half-right, for the Director of Operations was at that very moment in a gigantic depressive slump over the fact that she was not worthy of being a parent. 'What's the point of trying anymore? After what happened last night, there's no way he'll stay with me now.'

The weapons developer, who until now was battling the urge to make a smart-assed comment about his fellow co-worker, decided to take advantage of Katsuragi's vulnerable position. "I know what happened to you. You ate some of your own cooking and combined it with an astronomical amount of beer. It's amazing you're still alive."

Ritsuko turned her head towards the two of them, glaring at the both of them, expecting another argument. She was surprised, however, to find that her old time friend had no retort to the American's rude comment.

Misato simply turned her head slowly to meet the gaze of her co-worker/rival, but did not have the strength to even mutter a word. Her head then shifted back towards the ground, returning to her glazed over expression.

Steven blinked several times, noting the uncharacteristic behavior of the purple-haired female. Though under normal circumstances, he would care less about her, but even he wasn't a complete ass. "It's more than a hang-over isn't it? What the hell happened to you?"

Miss Katsuragi gave a long, drawn out sigh and answered the American without removing her eyes from the ground below. "Why do you care? It's not like anything horrible is happening to you."

By now, Ritsuko full attention was being pulled towards her friend. "Why the long face? It's rare to see you like this."

Misato turned her head away from both questioning persons. "I don't want to talk about it."

Adams put together a guesstimate, and came up with a conclusion sound enough to put a smirk on his face. "I know what this is about. It involves Shinji doesn't it?"

The ranking captain's silence did little to hide the truth. The sad fact was that Misato was on the verge of giving up the whole idea of being Shinji's guardian altogether. She gritted her teeth in despair. In her mind, try as she might, she figured that she had no chance of winning Shinji over at this point. It was then that she finally lifted her head and slowly turned it towards the Head Developer of Weapons, and spoke. "I…forfeit…." The words were bitterly relieving, leaving a sour taste in her mouth. Strangely enough, it felt as if a great weight was lifted off of her, so much so that her own legs could barely hold her. The feeling of saying those words felt surreal, but it was obvious by the reactions of her competitor that it was quite real.

Adams could barely find the words to say. "I…Uhh…okay…"

With the feeling of the whole competition of winning over Shinji quickly vanishing, Katsuragi decided to go about explaining herself. "I'm not suited for being the guardian of Shinji. How could I be? I drink too much, can barely pay my bills, wouldn't know good nutrition if an apple kicked my ass, and I cause more trouble than it's worth." She then looked at both Adams and Dr. Akagi. "Shinji got into a fight yesterday, or to be more accurate, the fight got him."

Ritsuko, Adams and even Maya, who was minding her business up until now, responded in a gasp, all knowing that getting in a fight within the first week of school was a bad sign.

Misato continued. "After both of them were disciplined, I came to pick him up from school, which was why I was late for work yesterday. Well, I could have just dropped Shinji off at home and been done with it, but nnnooo, I had to go a step too far. You're both aware of who the Suzuharas are that work here, right?"

Both Adams and Ritsuko nodded.

"Well, the son and Grand-son of those two, Touji Suzuhara, was the one who started it. Apparently, his sister got hurt during the angel attack, and he blamed Shinji for it. It make a long story short, I threatened him that if he did that again, I'd fire his father and Grandfather, then I forced him to apologize. I thought that I did a good thing, but then Shinji yelled at me, telling me that what I did would scare away the kids at school, making it impossible for him to make friends. I blew it for him, because I didn't think things through."

The two other members of NERV listening nodded as they absorb what she said. Adams then responded. "So that's it, huh? I was hoping it wouldn't be this easy."

Misato then narrowed her eyes at Adams. "You know what really pisses me off. The fact that you even got involved in the first place. You had no real reason to want to be his guardian. Admit it, you only did it to get at me, to prove that you're better than me. Am I right?"

The American thought about the question, realizing the merit in it. "Perhaps. But it's not like I don't like the kid. He's pretty cool. A little sheltered, but that's no big deal. I'd be fine with taking care of him."

Misato continued with another question. "I bet the way you live your life, having him around would change you're whole life around. You have to make a lot of sacrifices in order to take care of him, things that you enjoy because you're a single bachelor. With him around, you'd have to kiss those things goodbye, am I right?"

Adams nodded again. "Yeah I guess so. I have to grow up sometime I guess."

Misato emphasized what she said next by pointing at herself with he thumb. "You see, I didn't volunteer to be his guardian to get at anybody. I really wanted to take care of him. I was sick and tired of coming home from work every evening and having no one to say hello to. I already planned on making sacrifices, and I made several while Shinji stayed at my place. I tried to make every effort in order to make him feel welcomed, to make him feel comfortable with opening up to me. But instead it all backfired. Of course, the same thing didn't happen to you, and you didn't even plan ahead. You simply brought him home and POW, you're best buddies."

At this point, Misato had gotten everything off her chest, and was nearly in tears. Adams took in all of the information and processed it. He then looked at Misato and made one short reply. "You of all people should know that life guarantees nothing. Shit happens." He then began to walk towards the door. "I have work to do in the Weapons Dept."

Before he could leave, Ritsuko butted in with one last bit of information. "Well Misato, it's certainly nice that you want to forfeit, but in the end, it's Shinji's choice, not yours, so in reality, you still have to wait till Saturday before anything official happens. I suggest that you two go about your usual duties until then. Misato, you're still Shinji's guardian till then. Understood?"

Both nodded as they walked out the door. Misato turned to her friend before leaving. "I have paper work to finish. Tell me when the harmonics test is over, ok?"

Ritsuko nodded, allowing the Director of Operations to make her exit. It was then that Ritsuko turned towards the screen containing Shinji picture. She then began to speak, as it could be seen that she was holding down the speaker button, and had been doing so for the past few minutes. "Shinji, did you hear all that?"

Shinji opened his eyes to look at Ritsuko image on the screen. "Yeah…I did…"

Ritsuko smiled at the boy. "I don't want to influence your decision, but I felt obligated to let you in on all of the facts about the situation, so that you could make the wisest choice."

Shinji nodded. "Yeah, I figured that. So now what?"

Ritsuko leaned closer to the speaker. "Do me a favor and don't say anything to anyone until Saturday, will you?" I just want to make sure that your decision will come as a surprise. Ok?"

Shinji nodded again. "Yes ma'am." He had to admit that hearing what he heard was a little hurtful. He had hoped that Adam's reasons were a little more caring. He didn't hate him, after all he did do a decent job at being a guardian, but what he heard had severely changed his thought process about the situation altogether. He was also disappointed that he wouldn't get the chance to apologize to Misato, considering that what she did yesterday had, if anything, helped him gain some friends, but an agreement was an agreement. He just wished that Saturday were now.

Maya looked at the Blond-haired scientist. "Don't you think that was cheating?"

Ritsuko snickered. "Misato owes me big-time for that."

**

Shinji was once again being driven home with Misato. Misato looked no less depressed than it was earlier, and it seemed obvious that she was going to have another night of binge drinking. Shinji wanted to say something to make her feel better, but Ritsuko made him promise not to say anything till Saturday, which was still another two days from now.

As the car stopped at a red light, the female guardian turned to the young teenager to say a few things. "I'm really sorry that this week hasn't been the best for you. I tried my best, and I hope you forgive me for not doing any better. I just want you to know that no matter what decision you make on Saturday, I just want you to know that you can come to me for anything, ok?"

Shinji nodded. "Yes, thank you." It was then that the boy had another thought. "Um….Misato? If it's not asking too much, could you not drink too much, tonight? It's kinda depressing to see."

Misato smiled. "I guess so. I suppose that it wouldn't hurt me to cut back."

Shortly afterwards, the two of them arrived home. Shinji, try as he might, could not get any sleep. He tried to do some homework, but his mind was too unfocused to force himself. He knew that he had one more day to decide whom to live with, and he needed to be sure that the person that he chooses would be the right choice. He also considered the idea of living alone, which was still and option. Still, he really didn't want to be alone, and he was still unsure as to whom he would pick. The decision weighed heavily on his shoulders for the rest of the night.

**

The next day seemed to start no different than yesterday. Katsuragi was still in her room, and it seemed doubtful that she was able to 'cut' her drinking down. He left promptly, taking with him all of the essentials. He doubted that he would do anything else today besides trying to decide whom he would live with. During the night he decided that he would list all the reasons as to why he would choose one person over the other and make his decision based on that.

After he made it to school and sat down for class, he took out a sheet of paper and made a list that had both names on it. He started with Adams, naming off the pros and cons of living with him. He named the pros first. 'Well, he's a pretty cool guy, I guess. Money certainly wouldn't be a problem for him, either. He's a good cook, too, if you like American food, which isn't bad.' Then he listed his bad traits. 'His disregard for the law bothers me, and the weapons and that security system of his is unsettling. But the worst part is that I kinda feel like I'm in the way around him sometimes. We don't have a lot in common. Oh well…'

He then started to list Misato's pros and cons. 'Well she's a good person, and definitely more law biding than Steve, but only slightly. She certainly wants to see me happy, and I don't blame her. She also has a strong desire to want to have me around, probably cause she doesn't want to be alone. The bad parts about her are simple enough. She can't cook, she's a slob, and she drinks too much, and she slightly reckless. But…'

He continued the list until the bell rang, indicating that it was gym. Afterwards, he looked over the list, trying to determine whom he was better off with. Unfortunately, he still couldn't decide, and he was starting to worry.

Lunch eventually began, and Shinji decided to bring the list with him as he went to lunch. He was stopped in the cafeteria before he reached the other table. "Hey, don't tell me that you still want to sit alone."

Shinji turned around to be greeted by Kensuke and Touji, who seemed mildly upset. "Oh...um…If you want me to sit with you, that's fine."

Touji then spoke up. "What's the deal with you? You wouldn't even talk to us today. I thought we were friends now and that we were over what happened two days ago."

The young Ikari sighed. "Sorry. It's not you guys. I've been thinking about whom I'm staying with. I'm not sure."

Suzuhara seemed somewhat exasperated. "You're still thinking about that? Didn't we tell you whom you should pick? The babe, man. The babe."

As the three of them walked towards the table that Touji and Kensuke usually sit at, Shinji hand the dark-haired boy the list he was going over. "I'm not going to pick someone based on looks. I made a list of actual reasons why I should pick either of them, but I'm still not set as to whom I should pick. I was sort of leaning towards Steve until yesterday for several reasons."

Both boys looked over the list and something caught Kensuke's eye. "Weapons? What kind of weapons?"

"He has some prototype weapons from NERV that he's working on." Explained the brown-haired teen. "He's the head weapons developer for NERV."

Kensuke's eyes light up. "THE HEAD WEAPONS DEVELOPER!!! YOU GOT TO BE KIDDING?!!"

Shinji was a little startled by the four-eyes's response. "You should see his…" He stopped briefly, worried that he might say too much. He then leans forward. "Do me a favor and don't tell anyone else, but he's got a collection of illegal weapons as well."

Aida looked like he was about to drool. "What kind of illegal weapons?"

Shinji scratched his head while trying to thinking of some of the names. "I think one of them is called the OCWW or something…"

Kensuke grabbed the pilot by the collar. "He has an OICW?!!! You've got to be kidding me!!"

Shinji smiled as he put up two fingers. "Uh…he has two…"

Kensuke leaned back in his chair in a daze. "I wish I could have one of those…." He then recomposes himself. "My vote goes to the weapons guy."

Touji's jaw nearly drops. "Are you kidding me? You picking him over a hot chick?"

"I haven't seen her yet." Said Aida. "So I can't pick her for that reason."

Shinji sighed. "I'm not picking either one of them for those reason, so it doesn't matter."

Kensuke looked at the list once again. "It's a pretty tough choice from what I can tell. I can't tell you who to pick."

After that, the subject was dropped as the three of them ate their lunches.

**

School had ended, and still he had no answer. He was painfully divided, and he desperately wished that he didn't have to make this decision. He wished that some one could make it for him, but this was not the case and time was running out.

It was then that he had an idea. He needed some sound advice, and there was one person he knew to whom he knew he could trust. His old teacher. He quickly ran home in an effort to use the phone. He grabbed the phone and quickly dialed the number. Unfortunately, the call was not connected, due to the lack of long-distance service. Obviously frustrated, he slammed the phone on and became rather anxious. 'Dammit! Of all the luck. No long distance. Doesn't she call anyone outside of Tokyo 3?'

He then had a thought. He remembered the cell-phone of his, and, seeing that he was short of options, decided to try using it to call his former teacher. To his surprise, the phone call was connecting. 'What sense does that make, having a cell-phone with long-distance and a normal phone without it?' He quickly put the thought behind him when he heard the phone being picked up.

"Hello?" Said a familiar old voice.

Shinji smiled to hear his voice. He was starting to feel quite home sick. "Hi sensei! It's me Shinji!"

The voice on the other line responded with obvious joy. "Shinji!! How are you? I was beginning to think that you'd never call. You aren't that busy, are you?"

Shinji nodded despite the fact that no one could see him. "Yeah, I have been pretty busy, and I didn't realize that my cell-phone had long-distance."

The voice seemed confused. "Your bell tone can go a long distance? What does that mean?"

Shinji chuckled at his Misotaka's response, but cleared his voice in order to not offend him. "It's a cell-phone. You know what those are, don't you?"

Hearing his former student more clearly, he nodded. "So you have one of those, huh? Boy, they sure are treating you good out there. I guess I'll never see you again."

The young Ikari sighed. 'I wish…' He thought, remembering all that was going on with NERV. He wished he could tell his teacher what he was doing, but thought better of it.

The old man continued. "So did you just call to see how I was, or is there another reason? If you wanna come back, I could sure use someone to mow the lawn again. I'm getting too old for such things."

Shinji answered the question frankly. "No. I'm not coming home. At least not yet. I actually called to seek your advice. I kind a have a problem."

"I see." Said Misotaka. "Well I'd be glad to help. What's the problem?"

"Well." Said the young pilot. "When I got here, I was originally going to live on my own, but then Misato, who's one of the people who helps run NERV, volunteered to be my guardian. That seemed okay, but then this guy named Steve also volunteered. To solve the problem, I ended up staying a week with each one, and now I have to choose whom to pick, but I'm stuck. I'm not sure whom to pick. What should I do?"

The old man on the other line sat down and started to ponder. "Tell me more about those two."

Shinji described both of them, including some of their quirks and habits, as well as their attitudes towards taking care of him. The teacher on the other line absorbed what he could, trying to make the wisest decision possible. Sadly, after all was said and done, all he could come up with was this. "Who do you think will make you happiest? Maybe you're too worried about how they will feel with your decision. What ever your decision, the other person should be just as happy for you as well. If they get upset because you didn't pick them, you probably shouldn't pick them in the first place. You character is determined by what angers you, always remember that."

Shinji nodded, although he still felt like his question was left unanswered. "Thank you, Sensei. I will take your advice."

"By the way," Added Misotaka. "About the woman, Misato was it? She sounds like a rather healthy young woman. Is…she…attractive?"

Shinji raise an eyebrow at the question. "Uh…I guess that she's pretty. I try not to think about it. You remember what you told me about girls and all."

The old man continued, almost drooling. "Do you think she has a boyfriend? I mean, she sounds single to me…"

Shinji began to sweat drop. "Uh…um…I don't…Maybe we should get back to helping me out."

The former teacher shook his head to regain focus. "My apologies. I lost my concentration for a moment. Happens a lot when you're my age. Anyway, do what your heart tells you. I'm sorry I couldn't be of more help."

The brown-haired teen smiled. "It's ok. You did your best. It was certainly nice talking to you."

"Indeed." Said the old man. "I hope to hear from you soon. And I hope they're not spoiling you too much."

"They're not." Said Shinji. "Talk to you later. Love ya. Bye." He then turned off the phone and sighed.

He was getting nowhere fast, and he was still clueless as to whom he would choose. To make things worse, he almost wanted to tell his teacher that he wanted to go home. The strain that he'd went through the past two weeks has been almost more than he could bear. He also felt guilty about hearing how his Sensei was having trouble with the everyday chores. He was needed back home, and he knew it.

But then, something happened that finally helped Shinji make his decision. He was going to choose….

**

It was Saturday morning. Shinji and Misato were already at NERV and were walking towards the command bay. Misato was still depressed, and it was starting to affect her complexion. Despite the fact that Shinji had finally made his decision, he didn't want to say anything until both her and Adams were together. It's too bad that this whole ordeal was tearing her apart.

Soon afterwards, they entered the command bay, greeted by Ritsuko, Adams, and the Bridge Bunnies. The whole group was anxious, except for Ritsuko, who was pretty sure of what the decision would be, and Misato, for pretty much the same reasons except she figured that she'd lost. The two Captains stood side by side and awaited the decision of the fourteen-year-old pilot. The scene was rather unsettling for Shinji. "Uh, doesn't this seem to be a little much? It's not like anyone's winning an award."

"Hey, this is important." Said the American. "It's been a main focal point for us since two weeks ago. You've got something to say, so say it. We've had enough drama."

Shinji scratched the back of his head. "Well as long as no one is placing bets…" Incidentally, both Shigeru and Makoto rolled their eyes innocently.

Shinji finally began to speak. "The person I choose to be my guardian is…."

Moment was dragged out over a couple seconds, but felt like an eternity. Ritsuko smiled in excitement, Adams narrowed his eyes, Misato closed her eyes completely, Shigeru and Makoto clenched their teeth, and Maya sneezed. Then it came out.

"…Misato!"

Misato almost fell back in surprise, while Adams actually did fall back. Ritsuko snickered, and Maya sneezed again, missing the moment. Shigeru moan while Makoto stood up triumphantly. "Yes, 200 yen!!!"

Being the good sport that she is, Misato pulled out an emotional 180 and then pulled out a victory speech. "Well of course he was going to pick me, I'm just the coolest."

The weapons developer stood up and brushed himself off. "It's not fair! Two days ago, you were going to forfeit!"

The Director of Operations tried to hide her shame and put on a face of denial. "What are you talking about? I never wanted to forfeit, especially to you. I was just trying to make you overconfident so that when he picked me, you'd feel like a complete moron."

Adams gritted his teeth and pointed at Misato. "You're full of shit and you know it!"

Miss Katsuragi then walked up to Shinji and gave him a tight hug. "Well, I'm full of something good. You just mad cause you lost to me again." She then sticks his tongue at him.

After grunting, the American finally calmed down and address both Misato and Shinji. "Oh well. It's over. I guess it really not that big a deal anyway." He then started to walk towards the door. "I know why he picked you. It's not rocket science." He then winked at the teenage pilot. "Good luck!"

Shinji read through the lines and shook his head, realizing that the American thought he pick her mostly for her looks. "I didn't pick her because of that."

The American looked back and chuckled. "It's OK. You don't have to deny it. I was your age once, so I know how you guys think." He then walked out the door, but before he left entirely he looked back at Shinji again. "If you ever wanna hang out at my place, talk to me, or anything like that, feel free. See ya."

The young Ikari sighed, realizing that the American misunderstood him. The Female Captain blinked at Shinji, wondering what the boy's reasons were for picking her as well. "Um…so why did you pick me?"

Shinji thought about his answer. "Well, I all honestly, I didn't come to a conclusion until yesterday…."

*

Shinji had just turned off his cell phone and sighed.

*

"I had just called my Sensei just before to get some advice. Sadly, he couldn't tell me anything that really helped. Frustrated, I hung up and paced around the house in anxiousness. I was becoming so stressed, that I was thinking about going back home with my Sensei. He's kinda too old to do some of his chores, and I felt like he really needed me."

*

Shinji was pacing around the room, becoming even more bothered by the situation. He then kicked over a beer can that was in the middle of the floor. 'Damn Misato. Can't she clean after herself? I swear it's amazing that she's lasted this long without someone's help.' He continued to pace, until his foot steps on another can, this time causing him to slip and fall on his head.

*

"When I hit my head, a thought also hit me like a ton of bricks."

*

Shinji suddenly realized something. "Misato needs me. She needs someone to be around to help her with things such as cleaning, cooking, and companionship. And…I don't mind that. In fact, it makes me feel good. I like feeling needed." He then stood up. "Misato needs me! And I like it!"

Nearby, a certain penguin was listening in and shook his head. 'That just doesn't sound right. I'm outta here.' He then left towards he private refrigerator/quarters.

*

"And that's how I made my decision. I realized that you needed me around the house to do your chores and to relieve your loneliness. I also realized that Steve didn't need me so much. In fact, I often felt in the way when I was there. But now that doesn't matter I guess."

Misato gave Shinji yet another hug. "You're the greatest. We need to celebrate! Let's get some ice cream. What do you say?"

Shinji nodded. "Ok. Can you afford it?"

The purple-haired woman put an arm around the young teen and walked him towards the door. "It's all covered. I got paid yesterday." Misato was hiding the truth to some extent. 'Too bad I have to skip my cable bill…'

Before they could leave, however, Ritsuko spoke up. "Better make it quick. Now that you've gotten all settled in here, we're going to have to train you to become combat ready. You're going to have to take the next week off from school, since you'll be spending a lot of time here at NERV."

The young pilot's eye bugged out. "What? I was just starting to get caught up on my school work."

"You'll have plenty of time…" Said Ritsuko. "To catch up later. The fate of the world takes priority over your school work."

Shinji hung his head in defeat. "I thought things were going to get easier…."

***End Chapter 7***

Author's Note: Fooled some of you didn't we. We are aware that some of you guys maybe disappointed by our decision, but there was a reason behind it (Which will be reveled later on. Don't worry. Adams will have his chance to take care of someone).

I realize that my characterization of both Touji and Shinji wasn't great during this chapter, but I do plan on working on that.

The next chapter will have the next angel attack, and Rei will finally be released from the hospital. What will happen? Only time will tell. Stay tuned for the next chapter. Bye!!!